Improved foot-rest



UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE;

ERASTUS WILKINS, OF WARNER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVED FOOT-REST.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,619, dated May 19, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERAsTUs WiLKINs, of Warner, in the county of Merrimack and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and Improved Foot-Lounge; and I do hereby de clare that the following is a full., clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, in which- Figure l is a transverse vertical section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference in both views iudicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is a foot-lounge which can be readily adjusted to suit the convenience of the person using the same.

The invention consists in securing the cushion of a foot-loun ge to a shaft, each end of which carries a pinion which gears in a vertical toothed rack in such a manner that the cushion on being rotated is raised or lowered, according to the direction in which the rotary motion takes place, and thereby the position of the cushion can be regulated to suit the convenience of the person intending to use it, and, furthermore, by the pinions and racks the cushion is firmly supported, and not allowed to sink or slide down spontaneously, and at the same time it adjusts itself to any angle,

according to the position of the foot or feet resting on it.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

Foot rests or lounges of the ordinary construction consist simply of benches, with or without a cushion to support the feet. Such benches cannot be adjusted in a vertical direction, and for this want they are not of sufficient convenience to come in general use. They are generally used only in barber-shops.

My foot-lounge consists of a cushion, A, which is firmly secured to a shaft, c, of iron or any other suitable material. This shaft carries two pinions, b, one on each end, which gear in toothed racks c, that are firmly secured in the sides of vertical slots d in the uprights B. These uprights are connected by crossbars, and they together with said cross-bars forni the frame of my lounge. The slots d are just wide enough to allow the pinions to work up and down freely 5 but if the shaft is exposed to a vertical strain without rotating it, the pinions catch on the sides opposite to the racks, and their teeth not being permitted to come out of gear with those of the racks, they remain stationary and enable the cushion A to support the weight of the feet, or any other weight which may be put upon it. Byimparting to the shaft rotary motion in either direction, the cushion can be adjusted up or down to suit the convenience of the person intending to use the foot-lounge, and at the same time said cushion will adjust itself in a hori zontal or in an inclined position, according to the position of the feet. When not used, the cushion is turned up in a vertical position in line with the uprights B, and the whole device can now be putout of the way, and it takes up not mulch room. It can be made very cheap. It is durable and not liable to get out of order, and it will prove to be ofthe greatest convenience not only for invalids, but also lfor healthy persons desirous of resting themselves in a convenient position.

VVhat'I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The arrangement of a shaft, a, with one or two pinions, b, gearing in toothed racks c, in combination with the cushion A of a foot lounge, constructed and operating in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein shown and described.

2. Making the cushion'A of a foot-lounge adjustable in a vertical and self-adjusting in a horizontal direction, as and for the purpose specified.

j ERASTUS WILKINS. Witnesses:

M. S. PARTRIDGE, DANIEL RoBERTsoN. 

